Smyrna times., 1887-06-29

grOuno IN nont Of SemiIante's kennel, she
formed head upon it with a block Of
wood and bundle of old linen, and stood
ASIDE TO view the result It was perfect:
even the dog was deceived, and though
perlshlng with hunger ceased its moaning
IN the face Of this man Of straw.
Satls-cd that the work was well begun.
the OLD woman now brought forth n long
Toll OF black sausage, and lighting a fire
On tne pavement proceeded to broil it.
oemluante, maddened by the smell. yeIped
ana bounded to the length of her tether.
E Her tongue thick and swollen, hanging
from her jaws, her eyes. red and fnming
HXeu upon the smoking meat. the fumes
OF which so enticed her famisbed stomach
AT last the sausage was done. and lifting
IL from the pan the old woman wound it
uke a craVat about the neck of the figure.
! Tying 1t securely into place, so as to force
Jhe uOg TO tear and rend it bit bv bit in
the effort to obtain food.
when this, too, was finished Semillante
was unclaimed, and with a formidable
leap reached the throat of the fgure. she
tell back with piece in her month but
only to bound forward again, burving her
teeth in the cords and tearing away the
sausage inch by inch, biting, snarling and
crunching it in ungOvernable hunger and
ferOcity.
Mother Saverini watched the dog with
klndhng eyes. When the meat was en-
tlrely consumed and the neck of the
manlkln torn to shreds, Semillante was
secured anew to be starved and then fed
as before.
For three months, at intervals of n dav
or two, this exercise went on. Semillante
gradually being taught to conouer her
food by the strokes of her teeth. At the
ehd OF Ithe three months the lesson was
learned and the moment the r0De was
Ioosehed and at gesture from her mis-
Iress she would fling herself upon the
neck OF the manikin and begin to tear it.
even when no food had been tied abOut it.
ior now she knew what was expected of
her, and that broiled sausage would re-
ward her when the work was done.
Indeed, so thoroughly had Semillante !
entered into the spirit of the duty for |
which she had been in training that the /
simple sight of her enemy or a word from |
her mistress was sufficient to rouse her to
pltch OF fury impossible to control.
Inc time had come, and Mother Save
flhl, gong to the village church once
more, threw herself upon her knees.
prayed with deep, ecstatic fervOr and
Iheh, accompanied by her dog, betoOk
11HOlnlAn ]
nshermen, who carried her across the
strait and to the neighborhood of TOngo-
sardo. In the bag which she carried on
her arm was long roll Of black sausage.
OF which Semillante, who had been fast
ing Ior several days, was INDUCED with
an occasional sniff, only enough to keep
her eager for her work.
Ldmplng and bent with age. Antoine
oaVerlm S mother made her Wav into the
village OF LongOsardO and began her in
quiries
Yes, said the baker to whom she first
applied, ''NicOlas Ravolati was there. and
likely to remain there, as he had taken |
up his old trade of carpentry and Joining
de worked alone in the little shop at the
md OF the street; she would find him
here" --i-ii
Mother Saverini obeyed his instruc-
ions, and five minutes later knocked at
he door Of RavOlati's shop
For a while after this there was
lothlng but confused sound of growls. ]
Ioans and strangled cries coming from !
! ne uepths OF that narrow room. At last !
ilence :
The next day Nicolas Ravolati was
ouhd by a customer who had come to t
ave him an order lying OH the floor dead +
ne nesh and muscles of his face and neck I
orn and separated into strips. Several 3
ms neighbors, when they came to think
bout 1t, remembered perfectly having L
cen an old, decrepit woman and a mon a
-rous dog, seemingly half starved and {
having eagerly upon something brown p
lat the woman gave it, pass from the 3
mop and take their way along the coast o
the direction OF Bonifacio. No one Y
oWever, took any trouble to look her uD' o
10 ask any questions as to Ravolati's ! Il
1ath, but Of one thing you may be GER L
lh-Ior the first night in many months Ii
olher Saverini slept well and soundly. Il
III Semllante had ali that she could | j
t. Translated from the French of Guy
MauPassant by E. C. Waggener for W
ew York Mercury.